fatealteration | (no subject)

(no subject)

"I'm sure there's got to be a city nearby," Joseph said. "Don't look so down about it! We can ask where we are then."

Caesar was nervous; Joseph could tell. Caesar was always more uptight than he was (though there were few people who weren't), but he could practically feeling the stress radiating off his body.

Who could blame him, though? One second they were in Switzerland about to confront Wamuu and now they were in --

Joseph looked at the environment around them. Tuffs of dried-out plants grew out from underneath craggy rocks; the occasional tumbleweed tumbled over a vast sea of sand. It was the complete opposite of where they were before.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Joseph Joestar." He said it even though his name had been established by virtue of not being Caesar Zeppeli.

"Juli Bahana," Juli said warmly. "If we've all had our introductions, maybe we could chat over some tea? I believe we have some snacks, too."

‘Phew.’

“Sei una persona davvero generosa. It would be uncouth of myself and my good friend to decline.”

So he was Italian, that much was clear. This was the only other Italian he’d met here so far, but…

‘…Laying it on a bit thick.’

Juli didn't know what that meant, but she would be lying if she didn't find his use of Italian charming. Giorno rarely spoke in Italian; there really wasn't anyone to talk to in it. But sometimes she heard him swear in it and somehow that was more appealing than even Caesar's suave words.

Juli shot Giorno an apologetic smile as she signaled for the others to enjoy them inside. "Giorno had it put together. I'm supposed to be meeting a friend for dinner afterwards, so I'm just going to be drinking tea. Feel free to help yourself to as much as you want."

Joseph immediately began loading up a tiny plate.

Caesar moved to step over the broken glass but found none when he looked down. ‘Huh?’

He moved on. The most important thing was making nice. The people here were generous with food—as fortunate as they were his appetite was still squashed. Still, he followed suit in pouring himself some tea and grabbing a biscuit.

“Biscotti?”

Giorno smiled back. Juli was diligent in her role. That’s what he appreciated about her.

“That’s right. I don’t mean to boast, but our baker could put a few cafes in Napoli to shame.” Since there were others eating now, Giorno took the opportunity to grab a few before taking a seat in the lounge area of his room.

“You both only just arrived so out of courtesy I’ll keep myself brief—we invite newcomers to take a few days to get their bearings before making decisions about staying or leaving. With staying comes expectations, of course, but you’ll be informed of those when the time comes.” He took a sip of tea. “As luck would have it, we recently finished construction of new dormitories. Juli can assist you with room assignments.”

"There's someone we need to find," Joseph said, taking a bite of the aforementioned biscotti. "The two of us are on a strict time limit."

It was the first time Joseph acknowledged it in front of Caesar since they arrived wherever-they-were.

The look of surprise on Caesar’s face wasn’t lost on Giorno. Nearly everyone at the villa had people to find, but…

“Time limit?”

"There's a wedding ring around my heart," Joseph said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. He took another bite of biscotti.

"What?" Did she hear that correctly?

"...Despite his manner of speaking, it's quite literal."

If Joseph was willing to lay it all out then there was nothing for it.

"Jojo was poisoned by our enemies. It will take effect in mere days. Only they hold the antidote."

'Poison, huh...' Giorno set his teacup to the side and nodded towards Joseph. "...May I check? It won't hurt."

Check it out? What exactly was he going to do?

Despite wanting to ask more about it, he gave a little noise of affirmation instead.

Giorno politely waited until Joseph was done chewing before approaching him. When he did, he raised a hand--his stand's golden hand emerging slightly from it in turn. He pressed his palm to Joseph's chest and focused.

Ba-thump. Ba-thump. Ba-thump.

Joseph was brimming with life energy--both he and Caesar were--but it was almost overwhelming to be so close to him. He had touched a lot of people in his time in the villa to heal them, but there was something about Joseph that was far brighter and fuller. His heart was the center of that powerful energy...and he didn't have to spend long sensing him to feel it.

It was indeed shaped like a band. It felt...off. Entirely foreign. Hollow. It wasn't like any metal or mineral Giorno had ever studied or touched. And it was wholly fused with his aorta.

Giorno took his hand back, and Gold Experience's arm dissipated. "I felt it. I can tell you're not lying."

"You really think we'd lie about something so ridiculous?!" Joseph had a thousand lies that were better than that one, but still he gave the truth.

Giorno's lips twitched in wry amusement and he returned to his seat. "I suppose not. ...I won't mince words. Leaving this place in search of your enemy would almost certainly be a death sentence."

"I won't just stay here to die!"

There was ice freezing Caesar's veins and he clenched his fists to ward it off.

"The others we spoke to...many of them said they'd been here for some time. What happens to those that leave?"

Giorno glanced at Juli and then back at the two men.

"I don't know. They never return. We've had teams search far out but, even with our resources, venturing a few kilometers away from this place is treacherous. You two are the first who have ever emerged from the desert. It all becomes aimless. ...I'll say this. I'm sympathetic to your plight. I may have the means to help."

"Help?" Joseph echoed. What could he do to help?

"What's the catch?" It was the first time Caesar had said anything so direct since they arrived. He couldn't help it - no one had been anything but helpful and accommodating, but...

"I don't intend to hold both of you in my debt, if that's what you're suggesting. I know nothing about either of you, so you have nothing of value. And even if you did, it wouldn't be my decision alone to make on how to collect it."

Giorno took a moment to consider his words with another sip of his tea.

"If you became members of this community, I would be obligated to help you as a member of the council. I'll leave that up to you both to consider. However, if not...there's nothing stopping me from making a decision on my own to assist or appealing to the others here as a gesture of goodwill. All I would need from you is your trust."

"What... what exactly would you do?" Joseph's response came out uncharacteristically subdued and he looked at the ground as he waited for Giorno's reply. He had been warned that taking out the ring before the 30 days were up would lead to him dying instantly. It felt like too much to hope someone could do anything about it.